You Deserve Better
by Marie19930
Summary: Marshall Lee returns home from the Nightosphere injured. When Fionna comes over and discovers he is hurt she wants to help him if he doesn't push her away. They end up healing each other. Oneshot


_**He said, "Now hush love, here's your gown. There's the bed, lantern's down. " **_

"_**But I don't want to go to sleep; in all my dreams I drown." - The Devil's Carnival**_

Marshall held his right arm protectively. He had returned from his small trip to the Nightosphere early and was about to open the door to his house. It was only a matter of time before-

"Marshall!" Fionna's voice cried in excitement as she stepped through the door he had just shut. He turned to her with an expression that was far from amused. "We so have to jam now that you are home-what's wrong?" she asked sounding concerned.

"I didn't necessarily have the vacation of my dreams," Marshall answered coldly. He didn't want to be rude to Fionna, but he was in the worst pain he had been in a while. He could barely move his arm and it was throbbing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Fionna said more seriously. "I'm an awesome listener."

Marshall turned away from her to inspect his arm. There were three long scratches that still seeped blood. Normally it would have healed by now, but something was wrong. The wound should have at least sealed itself by now. He pressed gently around the open scratch and was nearly brought to his knees with pain. A few drops of blood hit the floor.

"I think you should leave, Fi. It's not a good time to jam right now," Marshall answered through gritted teeth.

"Dude, you're-"

"Bleeding, I know! You need to leave Fionna!"

Fionna went silent but walked up behind him with determination. She put both hands on his shoulder.

"Just let me see, Marshall. I want to help," she said softly. Marshall growled in frustration, but gave in. He knew she was just trying to mean well.

"Don't freak out Fi, I don't want to snap at you," Marshall answered attempting to make his voice sound calm. He turned around to face her, and moved his arm to where she could see the rip in his shirt. The three scratches were still weeping blood and the flesh looked inflamed and red.

"I told you to be careful!" Fionna scowled. She gently took his wrist and pulled his arm straight. He hissed in pain but allowed her to examine him.

"Please don't yell," Marshall said as his head pounded. His whole body ached and when he was provoked while in pain he would do more damage than normal. "It's for your own good Fi."

"It needs to be cleaned," Fionna said as she inspected it. She had learned a lot about tending to injuries while adventuring. She even carried emergency things in her pack. "Or else it can get infected so bad, you'll lose your arm."

"You're not cleaning it," Marshall growled. He pulled his injured arm close to him again. He was instinctively protecting it.

"Marshall!"

"No!"

Marshall couldn't stand the site of anyone right then, so he floated quickly to his couch and sat. For the first time in a while tears welled in his eyes. He hung his head to make his hair cover his eyes. He heard Fionna's footsteps and soon felt a hand cup his cheek. She wiped a stray tear away and knelt down on the floor. She covered his hand with her free one.

"Please, let me help," Fionna said softly.

"Fionna," he whimpered.

"_Please_," she begged him. Marshall finally nodded, giving her permission. Fionna squeezed is hand and he knew she had smiled even though he didn't see it. "You'll be ok," Fionna added before she got up and went into his kitchen. Marshall could hear her rummage through the cabinets for a few things and the faucet running. She came back with a steaming bowl of water and a dry rag. She sat at his feet and dipped the rag in the bowl. She squeezed the water out, but before she applied it to his wounds she paused. "What exactly happened?" she asked. Marshall knew it was coming.

"I got into a fight with a lesser demon," Marshall answered coolly. "He tried to steal my bass, and the next thing I knew I was kicking his butt. I didn't know he had clawed me until later…but I think he was poisonous."

"That's not good," Fionna said as she studied his handsome face. Instead of being cool and arrogant, it was marked with pain and agony. Marshall rolled his eyes at her statement. "This might hurt, Marshall."

"Hold on," Marshall said before she put the rag on his arm. She paused and looked at him. Her sparkling blue eyes were filled with honesty and concern. "Whatever happens Fi, don't leave me."

Fionna nodded, and expecting the worst, finally put the damp rag on his arm. Marshall flinched but when she moved the rag to clean it more, it could have been the worst things she had ever done. Marshall's eyes turned red, and his face turned into an ugly terrifying scowl as he hissed in pain. His fangs even looked sharper. Fionna repeated the process and instantly regretted it. Marshall swatted the rag out of her hand with enough strength to nearly break her wrist. He stood abruptly to float away from her, but she caught him in time to pull him into an embrace. Marshall reacted by digging his fangs into her neck, but paused when she spoke.

"Marshall, I'm sorry. I know it hurts, and I'm really sorry but you have to get better," Fionna said with her voice cracking. She sobbed a little when his fangs dug deeper, drawing blood, but he stopped at the sound of her crying. He pulled away from her and she put both of her hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes. Marshall's face turned back to normal, and he became himself again. He couldn't remember what happened or what he did until he saw two small marks on Fionna's neck that weren't deep enough to harm her.

"Glob damn, what have I done?" Marshall whispered harshly. He pulled Fionna's head closer into his neck with his good arm as she cried. He led her to couch so he could hold her close enough to comfort her. "Fionna, I'm so sorry." He hated it when she cried, and he could never find an explanation of why it bothered him so much. Marshall saw the bruise on her wrist and felt like an even bigger ass. He squeezed her with his good arm. Fionna calmed down finally and wiped her tears away. She put a hand on his chest.

"I need to call Cake, maybe she will know what we can do," Fionna said with a shaky voice as she forced herself to stop crying.

Fionna finally got off the phone with Cake. She rummaged through her backpack and found the peppermint oil Cake had said to use as an antidote for the demon's poison. Marshall was relaxing in her lap as she sat on the floor. Fionna finally found the vile of oil she needed.

"Hey, I found what she said to use," Fionna told him.

"And what's that?" Marshall asked coolly.

"Peppermint oil," she answered and she poured some into the bowl of water. Marshall sat up and extended his arm to her. The smell filled the room and it seemed to calm her nerves some. "I don't know how this is going to feel to you, so get ready," Fionna added as she dipped the rag in the mixture and squeezed the excess water out. She looked up and realized just how close Marshall was sitting to her. She could see his long eye lashes in more detail, and it was the same thing for the rest of his facial features, especially his lips. He smiled at her.

"Go ahead, Fi," he said. "I'll be alright." His voice was always music to Fionna's ears and when he started singing her heart always skipped a beat or two. She could literally listen to him hours on end, like he was her favorite band. Marshall picked up a stray strand of her hair and started twirling it around his finger impatiently. Fionna gently laid the rag on his still bleeding wound but this time he didn't his or go all evil on her. Marshall closed his eyes in contentment and it was one of the most beautiful sites Fionna had ever seen.

"So it feels….good?" Fionna asked slowly. Marshall nodded and nearly purred. Fionna smiled finally and kept dipping the rag in and out of the mint water and applying it on his wound. The skin looked less red and angry. Even the blood didn't seep out anymore each time she applied it. Marshall inspected is arm afterwards and seemed satisfied. "How bad did it really hurt?" Fionna added out of curiosity. "I've never seen something do that to you and it scared me.

"In my thousand years of being a vampire, it was one of the worst. Fionna, this is why I don't want you around me sometimes. I'm not trying to be a jerk and push you away, but there are things that I would rather you not to see," Marshall explained keeping his voice soft. "You know how I hate it…when you…cry," he admitted as much as he didn't want to. "When I went all berserk on you earlier, I didn't know if I had harmed you or not and it scared me more than anything."

"But if it weren't for me, you'd still be in pain," Fionna told him. "I know you are immortal, but I don't want to see you in pain…ever. Even if it means I have to put my own safety at risk, but you know me Marshall. I can handle almost anything."

"Fionna, I've seen and felt things over the years that I wouldn't dare want you to encounter," Marshall replied sternly. "I can stay up for weeks sometimes just because I will have reoccurring nightmares about certain memories. And don't you dare tell anyone I told you that!" His pale face blushed a little at his confession.

Fionna laughed and to Marshall it was almost like hearing wind chimes. "I won't tell," she said as she fixed Marshall's shirt collar. He failed to tell her that he hadn't slept a full night for years now. When he got too exhausted, he slept until the nightmares plagued his dreams again and then he would go back to staying up as long as he could.

"I just…have my reasons for certain things," Marshall added. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but being the Vampire King isn't exactly easy. You have…expectations you have to live up to and when you fail them people start doubting you."

"I don't doubt you," Fionna blurted out and immediately blushed afterward. Marshall smiled; Fionna had a lot to learn. It had been a few years since he had met her, but she was still young and life had been kind to her so far. "Since you told me a secret, I think it's fair I tell you one of mine."

Marshall raised one of his eyebrows and grinned. "I already know about Prince Gumball. You've had a major globbing crush on him since I've known you. It was kind of obvious." Fionna shook her head and smiled wearily. She raised her jacket sleeve, revealing a pale scar that ran down her wrist. Marshall didn't find anything funny anymore. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"It was a while ago," Fionna explained feeling ashamed. "You had taken your yearly trip to the Nightosphere and there was just no one else that wanted to hang out with me at the time. It was like the only reason people wanted me around was because they needed something done they couldn't do themselves. Cake and I had also been fighting at the time, so I was pretty much alone. It was…a dark time for me. I never told you because I thought you would just think I was weak and would make fun of me."

"You could have died Fi!" Marshall scowled sounding harsher than he meant to. "What the glob, Fionna! Why didn't you tell me?"

Fionna shrugged. "We weren't as close at the time." Marshall's insides boiled with anger. He could have lost one of the few people who he had allowed himself to get attached too. It wasn't like he had lost enough friends during the thousand years he was alive. Fionna's eyes reflected her inner emotions that she hid from him. He could tell it was hard on her that Gumball never truly returned her feelings, but she hardly brought personal stuff up and focused on having fun. He somewhat admired her for it, because he knew he could be nothing like her no matter how hard he tried.

"Well, that has changed hasn't it?" Marshall stated firmly. Fionna nodded and he swore she was about to cry again which ate at him. "I'm not trying to scowl you Fi, but that wasn't cool."

"Cake was the one who found me, and she immediately got help," Fionna continued her story. "I scared a lot of people, but it also made me realize who really cared and who didn't. I realized, Marshall, you were one of the people who was worth my time."

Marshall embraced her tightly again. "Never again, ok?" he whispered to her. She nodded into him and tried to conceal a sob, but failed.

"I still feel the pain sometimes," Fionna cried into him. Marshall kissed the side of her head, and gently removed her bunny ears hat to tangle his hands in her fine blonde hair.

"It just means you're human, Fi," Marshall answered her softly. "That's a good thing, because you have the ability to feel. Being dead isn't any better than being alive. I might not have a beating heart, but I care about you and I don't want to see you hurt." Fionna sniffled adorably and buried her face deeper into his shoulder. She had never noticed that he had smelled like cinnamon and it helped her calm down. Everything about Marshall comforted her.

"I don't want to see you hurt either, Marshall," she told him. "I don't mean to get in the way, but if out of anyone you could at least let me in sometimes instead of pushing away like you do to others."

Marshall chuckled. "Sometimes you have to kick the damn door down to get to me." Fionna pulled away and wiped at her eyes. Marshall was still an arm's length away from her. Their eyes met and Marshall absent mindedly traced the outline of her lips with his finger. She didn't flinch away, but as usual blushed like crazy. He chuckled again. He was the almighty Vampire King and she should have been scared shitless of him. Instead she befriended him and allowed him to be a part of her life. It was a rare thing for people to do.

"Do you mind if I stay the night?" Fionna asked bashfully. Marshall laughed.

"I suppose," he told her. "We could catch a movie." Fionna yawned. "Or go to bed." He grabbed Fionna's hat and put it on his head before guiding her upstairs. It was passed midnight, and he was sure she was normally asleep by then. Fionna blushed as she stood by the bed waiting for her friend to get out the bathroom. Marshall came out without his shirt and she had the urge to look away even though she didn't. "Fi…the bed is not going to eat you," Marshall teased. "That's my job."

Fionna flushed furiously and wanted to beat him with the closest object to her. She was too tired though, so she quietly climbed into her side of the bed. Marshall caught her off guard in a deep kiss. "Next time, warn me," Fionna scowled.

"Get used to it babe," Marshall teased again, returning to his old self. "I'm like a rash that never goes away. You won't be getting rid of me that easily." Fionna smiled instead of punching him. She cupped is cheek with her hand again.

"I'm glad your back Marshall," Fionna said softly. She kissed his lips with her hand still on his face. It wasn't as passionate as when Marshall had initially kissed her, but she still put a lot of feeling to it. When she pulled away Marshall was the one blushing. Fionna almost wished she almost had a camera that the humans had used long ago. She crawled into his lap facing him and cupped both his cheeks gently. "You need to allow me to do the protecting sometimes," she told him as she ran her hands through his hair and pressed her forehead against his.

"Oh babe," Marshall sighed as he closed his eyes in contentment. He wrapped his arms protectively around her waist and pulled her into another exotic kiss. "We need to go to bed before I ravage you where you sit," he said with his lips inches away from hers. Fionna smiled at his husky voice.

"Maybe in your dreams, vampire boy," Fionna giggled. She returned to her side of the bed but motioned for Marshall to move closer to her. He rested his head on her shoulder and allowed her to run her hands up and down his cool bare back. She alternated between playing with his dark hair and rubbing his back until he was sound asleep. Fionna felt the need to comfort him and make sure he got the rest his ancient body deserved. She held him almost as protectively as he held her. For the first time in a long time, Marshall Lee didn't drown in his dreams.

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